Verbascum plant named ‘Flower of Scotland’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Verbascum  plant named ‘Flower of Scotland’, characterized by its compact and upright plant habit; medium green-colored foliage; unique greyed purple to greyed red-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Verbascum hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Flower of Scotland’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbascum, botanically known as Verbascum hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Flower of Scotland’.

The new Verbascum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of an unnamed selection of Verbascum hybrida, not patented.

The new Verbascum was discovered by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Gretna Green, Scotland in 1999.

Asexual reproduction of the new Verbascum by tissue culture in a controlled environment in Dievers, The Netherlands since 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Verbascum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Flower of Scotland has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Flower of Scotland’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Flower of Scotland’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Verbascum:

-   -   1. Compact and upright plant habit.     -   2. Medium green-colored foliage.     -   3. Unique greyed purple to greyed red-colored flowers.     -   4. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Verbascum differ from plants of the parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbascum are more compact than plants of         the parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbascum and the parent selection differ         in plant growth habit.     -   3. Plants of the new Verbascum and the parent selection differ         in flower color.

Plants of the new Verbascum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Buttercup, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,793. Plants of the new Verbascum and the cultivar Buttercup differ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbascum are more compact than plants of         the cultivar Buttercup.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbascum and the cultivar Buttercup differ         in plant growth habit.     -   3. Plants of the new Verbascum and the cultivar Buttercup differ         in flower color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Verbascum, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Verbascum. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Flower of Scotland’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in Hiliegom, The Netherlands, under commercial practice during the summer in an outdoor nursery with day temperatures ranging from 14° C. to 33° C. and night temperatures ranging from 7° C. to 18° C. Plants had been growing for about two years when the photograph and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Verbascum hybrida cultivar Flower of     Scotland. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of an unnamed     selection of Verbascum hybrida, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By tissue culture.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About one month at 14° C.         -   Root description.—Thin, fleshy; grey in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/habit.—Herbaceous perennial. Compact and upright             plant habit; broad inverted triangle; low vigor. Freely             basally branching habit, about seven basal flowering stems             per plant.         -   Plant height.—About 16 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 18.3 cm.         -   Flowering stems.—Length (soil level to base of             inflorescence): About 5.5 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Internode length: About 9 mm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Sparsely pubescent. Color: 144A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 4.4 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.9 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Rounded to attenuate.         -   Margin.—Crenate.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Sparsely pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: 137A. Developing             leaves, lower surface: 137B. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: 137A; venation, 143A to 143B. Fully expanded             leaves, lower surface: 137C; venation, 145A.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 2.6 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Color: 144A to 144B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type/habit.—Single rotate flowers arranged in             terminal racemes; flowers face upright to outward. Freely             flowering habit with about 250 flower buds and flowers             developing per plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Continuously flowering throughout             the summer in The Netherlands. Flowers not persistent.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about five days on             the plant.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 6 mm.             Shape: Flattened orbicular. Color: 183B.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 6.7 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 7.2 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 2.6 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 9 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl; petals fused at the base. Length: About 1.3 cm.             Width: About 1.4 cm. Shape: Orbicular. Apex: Rounded.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: When opening, upper surface: 182C. When             opening, lower surface: 182D. Fully opened, upper and lower             surfaces: 185D; color becoming closer to 182A with             development.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl. Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 2.5 mm. Shape:             Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower             surface: Densely pubescent. Color: When opening, upper             surface: 141B. When opening, lower surface: 141B to 141C.             Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: 141B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 6.7 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Angle: About 25° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 2.6 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Angle:             About 80° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: 143B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             five. Filament length: About 6 mm. Filament color: 17B.             Anther shape: Broadly triangular. Anther length: About 2 mm.             Anther color: 183A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 17C             to 17D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length:             About 9 mm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: 144B.             Style length: About 8 mm. Style color: 144A. Ovary color:             145A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Verbascum have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Verbascum. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Verbascum have been observed     to have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and are     winter hardy in The Netherlands. 

1. A new and distinct Verbascum plant named ‘Flower of Scotland’ as illustrated and described. 